Her Contradiction
by novella07
Summary: James Potter. He was a pile of contradictions. Arrogant, yet modest. Handsome, yet simple. Smart, yet lazy. Unruly, yet responsible. Predictable, yet unpredictable.


James Potter. Lily Evans found herself thinking about him more and more. He was an enigma to her. He mystified and confused her. She constantly had to re-evaluate what she thought of him. He was a pile of contradictions. Arrogant, yet modest. Handsome, yet simple. Smart, yet lazy. Unruly, yet responsible. Predictable, yet unpredictable.

Lily wanted to hate him. She always had hated him. He had been the arrogant prick who had asked her out every day since third year. He had been the arrogant prick who had pranked her best friend every chance he had. He had been the arrogant prick who thought he was akin to a god. He was the infamous James Potter, Quidditch extraordinaire and leader of the Marauders.

And she was Lily Evans. Studious and predictable. Rule abiding and stiff. Kind and friendly with a red hot temper to match her hair.

They had never been the perfect match. Lily enjoyed shouting at him as much as he enjoyed flirting with her. They were opposites. Every aspect of their lives conflicted with each other.

The idea of Lily Evans and James Potter as a couple was absurd. At least that was what Lily had assumed at first. Now, no matter how hard she fought it she thought of him.

As different and contradictory as they were, you never heard one of their names without the other. Lily Evans and James Potter. They were thought of simultaneously. It was almost as if they were already a couple.

That thought bothered her. She was sitting on the bleachers near the Quidditch Pitch, the inky black shy above her and the cold January winter pressing around her. She rubbed her arms trying to get warm when she heard his voice.

"Evans?"

Lily turned and there he stood, his jet black hair messy as always, his hazel eyes watching her in concern. He noticed her shivering and instantly took off his clock and wrapped it around her.

"Potter, you're going to freeze," Lily pointed out. He only wore a short sleeved T-shirt and jeans now.

Potter shrugged. "I'll be fine." The cold weather didn't seem to be bothering him. She opened her mouth to argue, but he shook his head again. "I'm fine, Evans."

There it was again. Another contradiction. He was being chivalrous, yet he had spent years using girls. She stared at him trying to understand. He noticed but she didn't care.

He was handsome, no doubt, but there were still boys who were much better looking. His hair never sat still. His eyes were a stunning hazel that could see straight to your soul. He always had the same smile. A lopsided grin that made most girls melt. Until now, Lily had refused to be one of those girls. And, then there was his body. Lily had seen him without a shirt once and it definitely wasn't a bad sight. Quidditch had done a lot for him, she decided. He wasn't hulky or over-muscled, but she could still see the muscles on his chest and arms.

"Evans?" Potter questioned. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not," she said, but she didn't elaborate.

Potter looked puzzled as if trying to figure her out. "Oh. Okay," he said merely to break the uncomfortable silence that had overtaken them.

Lily could feel herself yawn. Potter noticed.

"Do you want to head back?" he asked.

"Not yet," she shrugged. "Are you sure you're not too cold?" she asked pointing to the cloak. "I don't have to have two." To be honest, she liked using his cloak. She could easily smell his light cologne that he wore every once in awhile.

"I'm fine, Evans. The cold doesn't bother me."

"If you're sure," she said.

"I am," he paused as if trying to decide whether to say something before continuing. "Evans? Why are you out here?"

Lily glanced up at the dark sky wanting to avoid the question. The answer was one she couldn't give. She had come out here to escape James, the boy she might fancy. "I don't get you," she said instead turning to look at him.

"Excuse me?" Potter asked, confused.

"I don't get you," she said lifting her chin defiantly.

"So, you came out here?" Potter asked.

"No. Not everything has to do with you, Potter," Lily snapped.

Potter frowned. Lily knew what he was thinking. How had everything turned to insulting him again when they had been having a perfectly civil conversation? Great. Now, she could practically read the bloody blokes mind.

She thought for a moment. What if she did give him a chance? Would it be the end of the world? Would the apocalypse come?

"Evans?"

Yeah, it would, she decided. It would be the end of the world.

"What, Potter?" she asked turning to glance at him.

"What don't you get?" he asked. Obviously, he still hadn't managed to move past her original thought.

"You." Hadn't she already said that? Was he being even more dense than usual?

He let out an irritated sigh. "What about me?"

"Everything," she said glaring at him.

"Well, I don't get you, either, Evans," Potter said glaring right back at her.

"Well…" Lily paused trying to decide what to say. "Good."

He sent her an amused smile before continuing. "Seriously, though, what is it that you don't get?"

"First of all," Lily said turning to face him. Maybe, he could explain the mystery to her. She had never liked reading mysteries. She had always read the last page of a book first so that she didn't have wonder what was going to happen. And she definitely didn't like the way that James Potter was a complete mystery to her. "You're so arrogant."

He nodded his head. "Thank you, but I've heard that several times."

"You didn't let me finish," Lily snapped. "You're completely full of yourself. You're the most arrogant guy I've ever met. You think you're better than everybody else." At that point he opened his mouth to defend himself, but Lily continued. "Yet, you're totally the least arrogant guy I've ever met."

Potter looked as confused as she felt.

Lily continued. "And then you're totally unruly always pranking everyone and breaking the rules, which might I add are there for a reason…but then you're made Head Boy and you're completely responsible. You never miss patrol or any of our meetings. You don't abuse your privileges even against Slytherins, yet you're still in detention almost every night.

"And then, you're so smart, yet you never do your work. I hate that! I'm up late studying every night and still you're scores match mine. How does that make any sense?"

"Is that all?" James asked.

"No. And then there's the cloak!"

"The cloak?" James asked confusedly.

"Yes," she pointed at the cloak she wore. "You've always used girls…"

He opened his mouth once again to defend himself, but Lily continued.

"But then you're always opening doors and lending blasted cloaks and helping girls off the ground. You don't make any sense, James Potter." And then she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

An amused smile fell across his face as he watched her. "Like you're any better, Evans."

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"You're always harping about the rules and how they were made for a reason and how they need to be obeyed. Yet, here you are outside at two in the morning. You're always studying and you're grades are higher than any one else's in the class, yet every once in a while you procrastinate and go to the kitchens with Alice. You're always telling me how our pranks are cruel and mean hearted, yet I see you hiding a laugh each time. You're completely predictable to a fault, yet every once in awhile you do something that no one expects. Well, guess what, Evans? You don't make any sense either."

Lily glared at him, while inwardly acknowledging the truth of his statement. They were both a walking mess of contradictions. Was that how everybody was in reality? A contradictory mess?

She found herself yawning again and Potter stood up.

"Let's go, Evans. We should really get inside."

Lily nodded. Potter was the one who needed to get inside. He was going to catch a cold if he stood up here any longer.

He reached out a hand for hers and she took it allowing him to help her up. She could feel his warm hand against hers and didn't let go even after they began walking. If Potter was surprised he didn't show it. They didn't speak as they made their way to the Gryffindor common room. Lily took off the two cloaks and handed his cloak back to him.

He watched her for a moment. He could tell by the way she stood there with a thoughtful expression on her face that she was thinking about something she wanted to say.

"I'm supposed to hate you, Potter," she finally said.

He grinned. "Are you doing a good job of it?"

She frowned. "No, I don't think I am," she admitted. And then she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Good night, Potter."

She had almost reached the top of the stairs when Potter found his voice.

"Go out with me, Lily?" he asked hopefully, his eyes shining.

Lily smiled softly. "Yes, James. Good night."

And then she disappeared up the stairs.

Maybe, he was supposed to confuse her, she decided as she changed into her pajamas. Maybe, she wasn't supposed to understand him. Maybe, everyone was right. Lily Evans and James Potter would make the perfect couple. Or maybe they were wrong. Lily Evans and James Potter would make the most imperfect couple. But maybe that was okay. Maybe being a pile of contradictions didn't matter. Lily smiled as she climbed into bed and fell asleep thinking about the most arrogantly modest, handsomely simple, dangerously responsible, predictably unpredictable boy known as James Potter. Her contradiction.


End file.
